WTA, in conjunction with Eutelsat, will host an Industry Dialogue on Ka-band during IBC.

Ka-Band and the Future of Television16:30, Eutelsat Stand 1.D59Ka-band is now moving from concept to hardware in orbit, with $5 billion in spacecraft being launched through 2014, putting unprecedented amounts of new bandwidth into the sky. While business plans are narrowly focused on broadband for consumers and the SOHO market, it would be naïve to think that this much expansion in total capacity will fail to have impacts, both expected and unpredictable, in the markets for satellite services. One such impact may be on television. IP-based interactivity is fast transforming the traditional viewing experience from the living room to anywhere, anytime, on-any-device viewing. Connected TVs offering both video and Internet are expected to flood consumer markets in the next few years. Linear broadcast is under siege, and nowhere more than in satellite TV homes, where the one-to-many power of satellite has been so successful but the lack of a broadband return path is increasingly seen as an issue. What will the future of TV distribution and contribution look like in Europe and what role may Ka-band have in preserving the competitive edge of satellite? What does the future hold for Ka/Ku band mixes as well? Industry experts discuss new projects and speculate on what lies ahead.

Moderated by Louis Zacharilla, Director of Development, World Teleport Association